Copy sheet support for book copying machine



May 4, 1965 P. HEMENWAY COPY SHEET SUPPORT FOR BOOK COPYING MACHINE Filed July 1, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. DH\1 \P HEMENWAY ATTQQNEY y 1965 P. HEMENWAY 3,181,448

COPY SHEET SUPPORT FOR BOOK COPYING MACHINE Filed July 1, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fl cs. 9

INVENTOR.

W 1P HEMEMwAy ATTOQMEY United States Patent 3,181,448 COPY SHEET SUlPORT FOR BOOK COPYING MACHINE Philip Hemenway, 12625 42nd Ave. S., Seattle, Wash. Filed July 1, 1963, Ser. No. 292,169 3 Claims. (Cl. 9573) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), see. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to the field of book copying machines, more particularly to book copying machines in which at one stage of the copying process a page of the book is pressed against a copy sheet of matrix.

There are a number of book copying machines on the market for copying individual pages from books, magazines and other bound volumes. In some of these machines such as the Eastman Kodak Verifax book copying unit there is a substantially vertical work receiving slot which opens at the top and one side of the machine. The front and rear walls of the slot are defined by a stationary plate and by a movable press plate. The movable press plate can be moved by the operator from an open position to a closed position in which it presses against the stationary plate. When the machine is used the book is placed on the top of the machine with the page to be copied depending into the work receiving slot. The copy sheet or matrix which is to reproduce the printed indicia is also placed within the work receiving slot with its face against the book page. When the book page and copy sheet are properly aligned the operator swings the movable press plate to its closed position thereby holding the book page and copy sheet in intimate contact.

Heretofore, book copying machine having vertical work receiving slots such as the Verifax Copier previously mentioned, have been designed for use with a single size copy sheet or matrix. The copy is placed in the work 7 receiving slot with its bottom edge supported by the bottom of the work receiving slot. When the book being copied has pages substantially smaller than the copy sheet, part of the copy sheet is wasted. Furthermore when it is desired to copy successive pages of a book and the pages are smaller than the standard copy sheets, it is diflicult to produce copies which may be bound on the same side as the original pages of the book and to produce copies in which two sides of a book page are duplicated on opposite sides of a single sheet of paper in correct register.

Waste may be avoided and these other problems solved if the book copying machine is adapted to employ copy sheets of different sizes to correspond to the varying sizes of pages to be copied.

It is an object of this invention to provide improved means whereby a book copying machine having a substantially vertical work receiving slot may be adapted to employ copy sheets smaller than those for which it was designed.

It is another object of this invention to provide copy sheet support means for use in combination with a book copying machine having a substantially vertical work receiving slot whereby the machine may be used with a copy sheet smaller than that for which it was originally designed.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be understood from the description which follows and the appended drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the copy sheet support in its preferred form;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the copy sheet support of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows the copy sheet support of FIG. 1 in perspective;

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FIG. 4 is a perspective drawing of a book copying machine showing the copy sheet support of FIG. 1 placed within the machine;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of a book copying machine with a copy sheet support in place within the machine;

FIG. 6 is a side elevation partly in section of a book copying machine having a second embodiment of a copy sheet support incorporated therein;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view or" the book copying machine of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged elevation partly in section of a portion of the copy sheet support of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 9 is an enlarged plan view partly in section of a portion of the copy sheet support of FIG. 6.

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 5 the copy sheet support 1 illustrated therein is made from a generally L-shaped piece of thin sheet steel or other resilient material. The copy sheet support 1 comprises a rectangular base portion In, an upstanding leg portion 2, a handle 3 and a plurality of spring finger elements 4. The spring finger elements may be formed by making cuts along lines 5 in the base portion 1a parallel tothe long axis of the base and by making suitable cuts from the top of the rectangular supporting portion down to lines 5. Thereafter, each finger may be bent to form a gradual, somewhat S-shaped curve. The shape of the curve appears in FIGS. 2 and 3. The circular holes 6 shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 are not a necessary part of the invention, however, they may be made to facilitate the cutting and bending process.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the book copying machine 10' with which the copy sheet support 1 is used has a work receiving slot 11 which is open at the top of the machine and at one side of the machine. The front and back of work receiving slot 11 are defined by movable press plate 12 and stationary plate 13, respectively. The movable press plate illustrated is a composite one made up of primary press plate 12a, an intermediate layer of foam rubber 12b, and final press plate 120. The position of the movable press plate 12 in relation to the stationary plate 13 is controlled by the operator by means of operating lever 14.

The dimensions of the copy sheet support depend upon related dimensions of the book copying machine and the size of the smaller copy sheet or matrix with which it is to be used. As appears in FIGS. 4 and 5, the bottom edge of the copy sheet support 1 when in use, rests upon the bottom of the book copiers work receiving slot 11. The copy sheet support should be long enough so that when upstanding leg 2 abuts against the interior end of the work receiving slot, handle 3 projects beyond the side of the book copying machine a sufiicient distance so that it may be conveniently grasped by the operator. The distance between the top edges of fingers 4 and the bottom edge of base portions 1a should be equal to the difference between the vertical dimensions of the copy sheet or matrix for which the book copier was designed and the smaller copy sheet or matrix which the operator desires to employ. Thus a separate copy sheet support will be necessary for each diiferential size of copy sheet. The spring fingers 4 should be bent a sufficient amount so their tips will at all times resiliently bear against the stationary plate 13 while their bases bear against the movable press plate 12 of the book copying machine 10.

When the copy sheet support is to be used the movable press plate 12 is moved by the operator to its furthest position from stationary plate 13 and the copy sheet support 1 is slipped into the work receiving slot 11 with its bottom resting on the bottom 11a of work receiving slot 11. The upstanding leg 2 abuts against the interior end of Work receiving slot 11 and handle 3 projects a suificient distance beyond the side of book copying ma- 'port into the machine.

chine so that the copy sheet support 1 can be manipulated by the operator. A copy sheet of appropriate size having a pull tab portion 15a is placed in the work receiving slot 11 with its bottom edge supported by the topmost edges of spring finger elements 4. The book 16 from which a page is to be copied is opened and laid across the top of the machine with page 17 depending into the Work receiving slot. The operator then rotates operating handle 14 causing movable press plate 12 to press page 17 and copy sheet 15 into intimate contact with each other and with stationary plate 13. As the movable press plate moves toward the stationary plate, spring finger elements 4 are compressed. However, they at all times bear against stationary plate 13 and thereby continuously support the bottom edge of copy sheet 15. (It is desirable that copy sheet support 1 be made of sheet material whose thickness is smaller than the combined thicknesses of the book page being copied and the copy sheet or matrix so that the copy sheet support will not interfere with the closing of the press.)

When the page has been copied, the operator opens the press and removes the book and the copy sheet. Up-

standing leg 2, although not essential, is sometimes helpful in removing a copy sheet or matrix which sticks in the work receiving slot.

F165. 6, 7, 8 and 9 illustrate modifications which can be made to a conventional book copying machine having a vertical work receiving slot, such as that described in US. Patent No. 2,878,740, March 21, 1959, and assigned to Eastman Kodak Company to build a copy sheet sup- The book copying machine 2@ has a work receiving slot 21 defined at its front by mov- I able press plate 22 and at its rear by stationary plate 23.

The movable press plate consists of a primary press plate 22a, an intermediate layer of foam rubber 22b, and a final press plate 220.

Two vertical slot-like openings 24 are cut through the front face of copying machine 2%. A corresponding vertical slot-like opening 24a is cut through movable press plate 22 in registration with slot-like opening 24. A 2 bar 25 is attached to the primary press plate 22a by axial bore 29a, an intermediate flange portion 39 and an externally threaded bolt portion 31 having a small axial bore 31a communicating with larger bore 2%. The bolt portion 31 passes through the opening in T-slot channel 26 and threadedly engages T-slot nut 27. A pin 33 is disposed for sliding movement within spring and pin housing 28, the head 33a of the pin being within larger axial bore 2% and the shank 33b passing through smaller axial bore 31a. Plug 35 screws into the outermost end of axial bore 2% and compresses spring 34 against head 33a of pin 33.

An L-shaped adjusting handle 36 is fastened to each spring and pin housing 28. The adjusting handle extends through vertical slot-like opening 24 and projects beyond the face of the copying machine a sufiicient distance so that the operator may grasp it. The adjusting handle serves two purposes; when translated upward or downward it varies the height of pin 33 above the bottom 21a of work receiving slot 21. The handle can also be rotated to draw spring and pin housing 28 and T-slot nut 27 together or can be rotated in the opposite direction to separate these two elements. Thus T-slot nut 27 and flange portion 3t) can be made to selectively grip the upper flanges of 2 bars locking pin 33 in any desired position above the bottom 21a of the work receiving slot 21.

The length of shank 33b of pin 33 and of axial bore 2% should be such that even when movable press plate 22 is opened to its furthest position from stationary plate 23 the tip 330 of pin 83 continues to contact stationary plate 22 and so that when movable press plate 22 is moved into contact with stationary plate 23 pin 33 will be pressed back into axial bore 2% unit tip 33c lies behind the surface of final press plate 220.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent how the integral copy sheet support of FIGS. 6, 7, 8 and 9 functions. By means of adjusting handles 35 the operator can move the two pins 33 to the position above the bottom 21a of work receiving slot 2 1 which corresponds to the size of the copy sheet being used. The pins are then locked' in position by rotating the two adjusting handles 36. The pin tips 33c at all times bear against stationary plate 23 and support the copy sheet 37 while the press of the book copying machine 26 is being opened and closed. The heights of vertical slot-like openings 24 determine the limits of adjustability of the copy sheet support and hence the range of sizes of copy sheets with which the modified machine may be used.

It will be apparent to persons skilled in the art that many modifications may be made to the two embodiments of the inventiondescribed and illustrated without departing from the principle of the invention.

1 claim: 1. A copy sheet support for use in a book copying rnachine having a substantially vertical work receiving slot comprising an L-shaped member made from a thin sheet of resilient metal having semi-detached spring finger elements formed along the upper edge of the longer leg of said L-shaped member, said finger elements being partially offset relative to the plane of the L-shaped memher.

2. In combination with a book copying machine having a substantially vertical work receiving slot defined by a stationary plate and a movable press plate for pressing a the page to be copied against a copy sheet, the improvement comprising movable support means disposed in and extending across said Work receiving slot for supporting .the bottom edge of the copy sheet above the bottom of the work receiving slot, said movable support means having a substantially rectangular base portion with spring finger elements afiixed along the top edge of said base portion and partially offset relative to said base portion, said spring finger elements, when compressed and said base portion each having a thickness less than the approximate combined thicknesses of the said copy sheet and a page of the book to be copied.

3. In combination with a book copying machine having a substantially vertical work receiving slot in the body thereof defined by a stationary plate and a movable press plate for pressing the page to be copied against a copy sheet, the improvement comprising:

(a) registering vertical slot-like openings in said body and said movable press plate, said openings communicating with said work receiving slot; and

(b) movable support means comprising an adjustable handle disposed for translational and rotational movement within said slot-like openings, a spring biased pin associated with each handle bridging the work receiving slot and capable of being translated thereby toa plurality of locations at diifering distances above the bottom of said work receiving slot, and locking means connected to each adjusting han dle and actuated by rotation thereof for locking each pin at any selected location.

2,878,740 3/59 Hodges --73 EVON C. BLUNK, Primary Examiner. 

1. A COPY SHEET SUPPORT FOR USE IN A BOOK COPYING MACHINE HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL WORK RECEIVING SLOT COMPRISING AN L-SHAPED MEMBER MADE FROM A THIN SHEET OF RESILIENT METAL HAVING SEMI-DETACHED SPRING FINGER ELEMENTS FORMED ALONG THE UPPER EDGE OF THE LONGER LEG OF SAID L-SHAPED MEMBER, SAID FINGER ELEMENTS BEING PARTIALLY OFFSET RELATIVE TO THE PLANE OF THE L-SHAPED MEMBER.
 3. IN COMBINATION WITH A BOOK COPYING MACHINE HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL WORK RECEIVING SLOT IN THE BODY THEREOF DEFINED BY A STATIONARY PLATE AND A MOVABLE PRESS PLATE FOR PRESSING THE PAGE TO BE COPIED AGAINST A COPY SHEET, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING: (A) REGISTERING VERTICAL SLOT-LIKE OPENINGS IN SAID BODY AND SAID MOVABLE PRESS PLATE, SAID OPENINGS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID WORKA RECEIVING SLOT; AND (B) MOVABLE SUPPORT MEANS COMPRISING AN ADJUSTABLE HANDLE DISPOSED FOR TRANSLATIONAL AND ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT WITHIN SAID SLOT-LIKE OPENINGS, A SPRING BIASED PIN ASSOCIATED WITH EACH HANDLE BRIDGING THE WORK RECEIVING SLOT AND CAPABLE OF BEING TRANSLATED THEREBY TO A PLURALITY OF LOCATIONS AT DIFFERING DISTANCES ABOVE THE BOTTOM OF SAID WORK RECEIVING SLOT, AND LOCKING MEANS CONNECTED TO EACH ADJUSTING HANDLE AND ACTUATED BY ROTATION THEREOF FOR LOCKING EACH PIN AT ANY SELECTED LOCATION. 